How to avoid card error, how to get it fixed if too late!

[AmateurJay]

I posted this reply to people on this site, I thought it might warrant it's own post to help others, regarding smartmedia cards and card errors:

[card works on computer but not in camera]
Hi I had the same problem. When you delete pictures from the computer and not the camera this often happens.
I paid a guy on eBay $4 and he fixed my card and warned me not to delte from the computer anymore!! I also got a great deal from him on my Olympus C 4040.

http://cgi.ebay.com/I-will-repair-your-smartmedia-card-for-4-or-back_W0QQitemZ270037176595QQihZ017QQcategoryZ43472 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[OandG]

I second that advice - never give your computer the chance to do anything to a Smart Media card - and when you transfer pictures from the card to your computer, always use the command 'COPY' - never the command 'MOVE'. I've read that it's something to do with formatting & that the card uses a different formatting system & if the computer formats the card in any way it can ruin the card.

And another thing - I've also read that you should never continue to use an Olympus camera and Smart Media Card after the Low Battery warning appears. Some people have said that if you do, you may kill the camera, let alone harm the card! Seeing that my camera's a C2100UZ & virtually irreplaceable, I follow that advice religiously. Once pictures have been copied to the computer, I use the camera to format the card.

I used to have an Olympus card reader & found that I could sometimes correct a malfunctioning card by using Olympus' SMPREP command that was part of the program that was installed on the computer to make the reader work.

Now I use a CameraMate card reader. It didn't require any driver to be installed - I guess it's driver is built in or installs automatically. I don't know whether it protects the card in some way, or whether it's because I'm now more careful, but I follow the same rule - always use the COPY command - & (cross my fingers) it's a long time since a card has malfunctioned.